Putin’s forces trying to ‘bypass and infiltrate’ frontline city & was Epstein's ‘sex empire’ a Russian honeytrap?

Day 1,439.


Today, as Vladimir Putin’s so-called “energy ceasefire” is
reportedly broken once again, we report on another weekend of
devastating Russian strikes on Ukraine – including an attack that
killed 15 miners when drones hit their bus during a near Dnipro,
and a strike on a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhya that injured
at least six. We then examine mounting claims that convicted sex
offender Jeffrey Epstein was not only close to the Kremlin, but
may have acted as a foreign agent on Russia’s behalf.


Contributors


Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley
on X.


Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence).
@DomNicholls on X.


Poppy Wood (Education Editor). @poppyeh on X.


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Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your
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CONTENT REFERENCED:


Epstein’s links to Putin and Kremlin spies raise fears he was
Russian agent (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/01/epstein-links-to-putin-and-fsb-raise-fears-he-was-a-russian/ 


Putin targets migrant smuggling networks to boost his ranks (The
Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/putin-targets-migrant-smuggling-networks-to-boost-his-ranks/ 


Putin ‘will send thousands of criminals to wreak havoc across
Europe’ (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/01/putin-send-thousands-criminals-wreak-havoc-across-europe/ 


International law meant to limit effects of war at breaking
point, study finds (The Telegraph):


https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/feb/02/more-than-100000-civilians-killed-war-crimes-out-of-control-study 


Slovakia PM's national security adviser resigns over Epstein
links (BBC):


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnvgljj1dygo?xtor 


Epstein Library Database (DoJ):


https://www.justice.gov/epstein 


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